charitable

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UK/ˈt͡ʃæɹɪtəbəl/Canada, US/ˈt͡ʃæɹətəbəl/Canada, US[ˈt͡ʃæɹ(ə)ɾəbɫ̩]/ˈt͡ʃɛɹətəbəl/

adjective

Pertaining to charity.

Opposite
CommonScrabble 17

Meanings

adjectivecharitable (comparative more charitable, superlative most charitable)

comparative more charitable · superlative most charitable

  1. Pertaining to charity.
  2. Kind, generous.

    Pakistan can sometimes be a cruel environment, its residents caught between the dual pressures of poverty and violence. Yet it is also a place of great kindness, with a strong culture of charitable giving.

    2017 April 6, Samira Shackle, “On the frontline with Karachi’s ambulance drivers”, in the Guardian
    1 more example

    St. Martin [of Tours] looks round, first, deliberately;—becomes aware of a tatterdemalion and thirsty-looking soul of a beggar at his chair side, who has managed to get his cup filled somehow, also—by a charitable lacquey. St. Martin turns his back on the Empress, and hobnobs with him!

    1884, John Ruskin, “By the Rivers of Waters”, in “Our Fathers Have Told Us.”: Sketches of the History of Christendom for Boys and Girls who have been Held at Its Fonts, part I (The Bible of Amiens), Orpington, Kent: George Allen, →OCLC, pages 30–31
  3. Having a purpose or character of a charity.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivefull of love and generosity

Opposite

adjectiveshowing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchcharitable
  2. Englishcharitable

From Old French charitable.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian благотворителен, щедър
  • благотворителен (blagotvoritelen)pertaining to charity
  • щедър (štedăr)kind, generous
Catalan caritatiu, caritatiu
  • caritatiupertaining to charity
  • caritatiukind, generous
Czech dobročinný, dobročinný
  • dobročinnýpertaining to charity
  • dobročinnýhaving a purpose or character of a charity
Dutch weldadig
  • weldadigkind, generous
Finnish hyväntekeväisyys-, hyväntahtoinen
  • hyväntekeväisyys-pertaining to charity
  • hyväntahtoinenkind, generous
French caritatif
  • caritatifpertaining to charity
German mildtätig, Wohltätigkeits-
  • mildtätigpertaining to charity
  • Wohltätigkeits-pertaining to charity
  • wohltätigkind, generous
  • großzügigkind, generous
  • mildtätighaving a purpose or character of a charity
Hindi पूर्त
  • पूर्त (pūrt)pertaining to charity
Hungarian jótékonysági
  • jótékonyságipertaining to charity
Irish carthanach, Críostúil
  • carthanachkind, generous
  • Críostúilkind, generous
  • déirceachkind, generous
  • grádiaúilkind, generous
Italian caritatevole, solidale
  • caritatevolepertaining to charity
  • solidalepertaining to charity
  • generosokind, generous
  • beneficohaving a purpose or character of a charity
Persian خیریه
  • خیریه (xeyriye)pertaining to charity
Polish charytatywny, miłosierny
  • charytatywnypertaining to charity
  • miłosiernykind, generous
  • dobrykind, generous
  • charytatywnyhaving a purpose or character of a charity
  • dobroczynnyhaving a purpose or character of a charity
Portuguese caritativo
  • caritativokind, generous
Russian благотвори́тельный, милосе́рдный
  • благотвори́тельный (blagotvorítelʹnyj)pertaining to charity
  • милосе́рдный (milosérdnyj)kind, generous
  • ще́дрый (ščédryj)kind, generous
  • благотвори́тельный (blagotvorítelʹnyj)having a purpose or character of a charity
Spanish caritativo, benéfico
  • caritativokind, generous
  • benéficohaving a purpose or character of a charity
Swedish välgörenhets-, välgörande
  • välgörenhets-pertaining to charity
  • välgörandepertaining to charity
Tamil வள்ளல்
  • வள்ளல் (vaḷḷal)kind, generous
Turkish yardımsever
  • yardımseverkind, generous
Cite this entry
APA

charitable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/charitable

MLA

“charitable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/charitable. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “charitable,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/charitable.

Source: charitable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.